Chapter 7
Brody
This is not what I expected would happen when I took Kate out here.
I thought we’d throw some snowballs, she’d get cold and complain, and we’d go back inside.
But instead she’s laughing and having a good time and somehow ended up on top of me.
And I gotta say, I’m not hating it. The girl is hot, even with red cheeks, a red nose, and her hat falling off.
I’ve always been a sucker for girls who can let loose and be themselves and aren’t obsessed with how they look, but I didn’t think Kate was that type of girl.
Everything she’s told me about herself makes her sound like one of those girls who isn’t happy unless everything’s perfect—her clothes, her hair, her makeup.
But maybe I was wrong, or maybe she’s only being this way because she knows we’ll never see each other again after the storm ends.
‘You want to go inside and warm up?’ I ask, thinking I better get her off me before my cock reacts to the feel of her body on mine. It’s already started to, but I doubt she can feel it through all the layers of clothes she’s got on.
‘Do we have to?’ she asks, rolling off me onto her back.
‘No. I just thought you might be cold.’
‘I’m freezing.’ She laughs as she stares up at the sky. ‘I’m not even sure I can feel my legs anymore.’
I turn to face her. ‘Then we need to get inside. I don’t want you getting frostbite. Plus, it’ll be dark soon. We won’t be able to see unless I turn the porch light on.’
‘Just a few more minutes.’ She closes her eyes, smiling as the snow falls on her face. She really is beautiful, even with a bright red nose.
‘What are you doing?’
‘Listening.’
‘To what?’
‘The stillness. It’s so quiet.’
‘It’s always like this.’
‘I’m used to noise. Cars going by. Police sirens. That beeping sound trucks make when they’re backing up. There’s always noise in the city. But here, it’s so quiet I can almost hear the snow falling.’ She opens her eyes and looks at me. ‘What’s it like living in a small town?’
‘It’s great! People are friendly. It’s easy to get around. Small-town living isn’t for everyone, but I personally wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. The only downside is that it’s hard to date here. I know almost everyone in town and have already dated the girls I was interested in.’
Kate looks up at the sky. ‘It’s not easy dating in a big city either. Before I met Cam, I tried a few dating apps and didn’t find a single decent guy. Most of them were just looking for sex. Some of the guys weren’t even real. Just fake profiles.’
‘So how’d you meet Cam?’
‘At a fundraiser. He was there with his parents. We were all seated at the same table, Cam and me and our parents. It was a total setup, but I didn’t know it at the time.
I found out later that my parents and Cam’s parents, who knew each other socially, arranged for Cam and me to meet that night. And the rest is history.’
‘So it was like an arranged marriage.’
‘They didn’t force us to get together. It just happened.’ She sighs. ‘I’m sure his family hates me now.’
‘Who cares? It’s not your job to make them happy.’
‘Can we not talk about Cam?’ Kate looks up at the falling snow. ‘I don’t want to ruin this.’
‘You really like it out here. I didn’t think you would.’
‘I didn’t think I would either. But now I don’t want to go inside.’
‘You’ve gotta be freezing your ass off in those sweatpants. They’re soaking wet.’
‘My legs are too numb to notice.’
I get up. ‘Let’s go in the house.’
She moves her arms and legs up and down in the snow. ‘Look! I’m doing that thing! What’s it called?’
‘A snow angel. C’mon, let’s go.’
‘I’ve never done this before.’ She looks up at me. ‘Can you believe that? How have I never done this?’
‘I don’t know. Kate, I’m serious. You can’t be out here in wet clothes. You need to get inside and warm up. ’
When she doesn’t move, I lean down and scoop her up in my arms.
‘Brody! What are you doing?’
‘Taking you inside. I can’t risk you getting frostbite. The nearest hospital is 20 miles away and there’s no way we’re getting there in the storm.’
‘Can we do this again tomorrow?’
She’s like a little kid, a complete change from the uptight, serious girl I met a few hours ago. It must be the snow. It can make you feel like a kid again, which is one of the reasons I like it.
‘Okay, now I’m cold,’ she says, shivering as I take her into the house and set her down.
‘I’ll turn the heat up.’ I walk over to the thermostat. ‘Go take a shower. It’ll help you warm up.’
‘I don’t need a shower. Just some warm clothes and maybe something hot to drink.’
‘I only have hot chocolate. I don’t drink coffee and I don’t have tea.’
‘Hot chocolate’s good. What about clothes?’
‘Just go in my room and pick something.’ I walk to the kitchen and get a mug from the cupboard. Kate’s still standing by the door, watching me. ‘What’s wrong?’
She looks confused. ‘Are you really okay with me taking your clothes? I don’t want to take something I shouldn’t.’
‘Take whatever you want. I don’t care.’
She walks to my room, holding up the sweatpants, which are no longer held in place by the now-wet duct tape.
Why is she so worried about using my stuff? She keeps acting like she has to ask for permission. Is that what her ex made her do? Did she have to ask before she could do anything?
‘Is this okay?’
Kate comes out from the hall and I almost drop the mug of hot water I was holding.
‘Um, yeah.’ I’m trying not to stare, but fuck, she looks hot. She put on one of my flannel shirts, which on her comes to just above her knees. A hot girl wearing my shirt is my absolute favorite look. She has the top few buttons undone, enough that I can almost see her tits.
I clear my throat. ‘Don’t you want some pants?’
‘I tried some on, but they’re all too big.’ She walks over to me. ‘If you want me to change, I can. I just didn’t know what to put on.’
‘What you’re wearing is fine. I just didn’t want you getting cold.’
‘Do you have a blanket?’
‘In the cedar chest.’ I point to it behind the couch. ‘Help yourself.’
Instead of going over there, she hops up on the counter. ‘I really appreciate you letting me stay here.’
‘It’s not a big deal. It’s just for a night.’
‘What if it’s still snowing like this tomorrow? Do you think I could get a hotel room?’
‘They’ll probably still be booked, but we can check.’ I’m trying not to look at her, but my eyes won’t let me. This is the first time I’m seeing her legs, and damn, she’s got nice legs. I force myself to look away.
‘I’ll check in the morning.’ She grips the edge of the counter and swings her legs back and forth, bringing my attention back to them. ‘If they don’t have any rooms, I might have to stay another night.’
Another night? With a girl who’s getting me this turned on?
It’s not a good idea. There’s definite chemistry between us, which could lead to us doing something we shouldn’t.
Kate’s fresh off a break-up, a broken engagement.
She needs to deal with that before getting involved with someone else.
Then again, sometimes sex can help you move on, or at least get a break from thinking about it.
‘This shit’s probably a year old,’ I say, stirring the hot chocolate mix into the water.
‘I don’t mind.’ Kate stops swinging her legs and jumps off the counter, looking like she just saw a mouse.
‘What’s wrong? What happened?’ I look around, because it’s highly possible there’s a mouse in here. I get them all the time because I haven’t filled in the cracks around the foundation.
‘I didn’t mean to sit there.’
I look back at her. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘The counter. I didn’t mean to sit there. I’ve never done that. It’s completely unsanitary. I wasn’t even thinking.’
‘I don’t care if you sit there. I thought you saw a mouse.’
‘A mouse!’ she shrieks, jumping back up on the counter. ‘You have mice?’
‘No. Forget it.’ I hand her the mug. ‘Seriously, Kate, you gotta relax. Look around.’ I motion to my house. ‘Does any of this look fancy? Like I’d care if you touched something or broke something?’
‘No. ’
‘Have I given you any hint that I’d get angry if you did something without asking?’
‘Um, no, but I don’t really know you.’
‘Trust me, it takes a lot to make me angry, and you sitting on the counter? I don’t care. In fact, I like it.’
‘You do?’ she asks with a slight smile. ‘Why?’
‘It’s hot.’ I turn away from her and go to the fridge to get a beer. I feel like I need it, although drinking could get me into trouble so I really shouldn’t do it.
‘You think me sitting here is hot?’
‘We probably shouldn’t talk about this.’ I pop the cap off the beer and take a drink.
‘Why?’
I turn to her, leaning back against the counter. ‘It’s not appropriate. A few hours ago you were going to get married.’
‘But I didn’t.’
‘That doesn’t make this right.’
She tilts her head, her long brown hair falling over her shoulder, making her look even hotter. ‘What exactly are we talking about?’
I don’t answer. I take another drink of my beer, my gaze going to her legs as she crosses them. Fuck, that’s hot.
‘Nothing’s going to happen,’ she says. ‘We’re just roommates for a night.’
I nod. ‘Roommates.’
She smiles. ‘But I do like you, Brody. You’re a good guy.’
‘I like you too,’ I say, gulping down more of my beer.
She’s watching me, and not in a roommate way. Despite what she said, there’s a very good chance something’s going to happen unless one of us finds the strength to stop it. And right now, I’ m not feeling that strong. We’re alone together, she looks fucking hot, and it’s been months since I had sex.
My phone rings, startling us both and forcing my gaze off Kate. Picking up my phone, I see Nick’s name on the screen.
‘Hey, what’s up?’ I answer.
‘I was just thinking maybe you should order a new controller for the plow. You might be able to fix it, but if not, you’ll have the new controller ready to install instead of waiting for one to get delivered.’
‘Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.’